Odisha to fly officers to review progress of projects in disputed Kotia region

Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have claimed jurisdictional authority over the villages under the Kotia Gram Panchayat in Koraput district or Kotia Group of villages in SC

The Naveen Patnaik government has announced a special package to ensure that the bordering villages in the hilly terrain are connected with all-weather roads, bridges and establishments of schools, hospitals, banks and police station. | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

The Odisha government has mooted a proposal allowing officers above joint secretaries to reach Kotia, a territory claimed by both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, using flight service to review the progress on developmental activities.

The General Administration department has been asked to create a file so that officers can take flight service to reach the Kotia group of villages, which is about 550 km from Bhubaneswar.

As both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have been claiming jurisdictional authority over the villages under the Kotia Gram Panchayat in Koraput district, the Naveen Patnaik government has announced a special package to ensure that the bordering villages in the hilly terrain are connected with all-weather roads, bridges and establishments of schools, hospitals, banks and police station.

While Odisha is focusing on massive infrastructure development, welfare schemes, and education, the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is busy reaching out to villages doling out monetary allowances under the old age pension, scholarship for students and health benefits.

The territorial dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh is over five decades old. Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have challenged each other’s administrative control over the Kotia Gram Panchayat or the Kotia Group of villages comprising 22 revenue villages and seven hamlets in the Supreme Court, which has ordered a status-quo.

For the first time in 2021, Andhra Pradesh set up voting booths in Kotia villages and held direct panchayat elections in some villages. A year later in 2022, Odisha held elections to three-tier panchayati raj institutions.

Helipad at Kotia established

The region situated in the southern part of Odisha has recently got air-connectivity following a regular flight between Bhubaneswar and Jeypore. Besides, a helipad has been established at Kotia.

The population of 21 disputed Kotia groups of villages is 4443. All villages of Kotia have been connected with roads while ₹71.53 crore has been spent on the construction of roads, bridges and buildings. There are 15 primary schools, three upper primary schools and two other schools under the SC, ST Development department functioning. Moreover, roads and bridges with an estimated cost of ₹26.26 crore have been proposed for the disputed region.

100-seated residential school set up

A 100-seated residential school has been operationalised at Tadivalasa village at an estimated cost of ₹1.18 crore. Moreover, one special Odisha Adarsh Vidiyalaya has been made functional from the current academic session. Of the 1740 job card holders under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 1237 have been provided with jobs. As many as 293 households have got 100 days of work.

According to the Odisha government, Kotia has been provided funds under all sectors including tourism, animal husbandry, horticulture, agriculture and energy. Moreover, a passenger bus is plying between Kotia villages and Semilguda, a major town of Koraput district.

No other gram panchayat in Odisha has received so much attention as Kotia. Since the 21 villages under the Kotia gram panchayat remain in focus of the Odisha government, constant monitoring of the development projects assumes huge importance. The departmental head’s active monitoring is expected to expedite faster the implementation of projects.